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Businesses urge North Brookfield to act on downtown parking; board opens discussion
Summary
A petition signed by residents and business owners asks the select board to implement time‑limited parking, improved signage, additional off‑street spaces, and stronger enforcement. Staff and residents discussed short‑ and long‑term options including sandwich‑board signs, reserved town office spots, and use of a nearby town lot for up to 68 cars.
Local business owners and residents presented a petition asking the select board to address chronic parking shortages in downtown North Brookfield.
The petition—submitted to the select board and read into the record—urged time‑limited parking zones to increase turnover, improved signage and markings, creation or expansion of off‑street public parking, stronger enforcement, and long‑term solutions such as shared‑use agreements or structured parking. The chair framed the item as an opening for discussion and investigation rather than a decision night.
Multiple proprietors said customers routinely cannot find short‑term parking in front of shops and that employees or municipal vehicles occupy key storefront spaces. One business owner told the board, “I lost 60,000 this year,” attributing lost sales to parking shortages. Another suggested temporary sandwich‑board signs indicating 15‑minute parking and removing them on big snow days; others proposed reestablishing eight spaces reserved for town offices and potentially paving a town‑owned lot that an official said could hold about 68 cars if not dug below existing cap material.
Select board members noted snow‑removal constraints that led to earlier sign removal, discussed enforcement roles for police and highway departments, and said multiple departments must be involved. The board asked staff to continue investigating options and to bring proposals back as old business for further deliberation.
